An upsurge of faith, reason, and reading
LIKE it or not, this last week people suddenly took an interest in faith and their own faith traditions. They reflected on what they believe or claim to believe in.
The responses from various Christian denominations to the President’s statements last June 22 were varied. Some expressed disappointment, with others calling followers to renewed prayer and reflection.
Nonetheless, these point to a surge in faith and church commitments as expressed on social media. Whether or not this interest is because of President Duterte’s statements is up to you.
As things unravel and proceed to a dialogue between government and Church leaders, these reflections have made their mark on the way many view their beliefs, how they are lived, and the difference between the two.
Nonetheless, the larger context in which this issue has raged is worth examining.
This upsurge comes at about the same time oral arguments on the petition supporting same-sex marriage are being heard at the Supreme Court, and gay pride marches have been organized in many parts of the country.
With this, the question being asked is whether the renewed religious interest will translate to a more robust opposition from churches to same-sex marriage proposals.
The Social Weather Stations just reported in a March, 2018, survey that 61% of all Filipinos oppose same-sex unions. (https://www.sws.org.ph/swsmain/ artcldisppage/?artcsyscode=ART20180629215050).
With this recent upsurge, will this opposition to same-sex unions increase? New media has deepened
debate on the economy Over the last two years, new online media have provided more people with a wider and deeper menu of information that affirms and challenges the information we receive.
With frequent accusations of fake news, people have started reading more to gain better context and vet the information they receive.
More people are examining the context behind strong statements and facts reported in mainstream media outlets.
Likewise, more people have taken to the Internet to evaluate the claims of governments detractors and supporters, plumbing historical data forever kept in news websites.
We have also come to a point where claims and statements of pundits and opinionmakers, bloggers and politicians can now be put beside real data. People are doing their own “fact checking” now.
One claim being reexamined is the repeated statement by some that the Philippine economic growth is “going down.”
As it turns out, our economy in the last two years has been performing just as well, if not better in some respects, contrary to the claims of some who seem to rejoice in negative news.
Our first Quarter Foreign Direct investments have hit 2.2 billion dollars, up 43% from last year. Our economic growth continues to move upward at 6.7%.
Economic growth continues to move higher, credit ratings and forecasts by banks remain positive despite currency adjustments.
Our situation is similar to India, which has experienced a devaluation in its currency, yet continues its high growth.
The clamor is for the faster implementation of key Build, Build, Build, projects.
It is here where we take exception to those who seem to savor or conflate negative opinions, even peddling falsehoods about the economy.
We must always be reminded that this is our economy, and does not belong to any one president. To wish it ill to conform to a political agenda is downright selfish.
The Philippine growth story will and should see continuous growth, and must achieve positive results beyond traditional growth centers and sectors for its benefits to spread. This will enable growth must survive beyond the current Presidents term.
It will pay to take stock of the various programs commenced and the results of such initiatives, and see how well such things are implemented.
As the Duterte administration marks its first two years in office, one major change is noted: the increased interest in the economy and its growth by a larger audience is noted. We hope that this trend continues.
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Congratulations to United Architects of the Philippines (UAP) National President Benjie Panganiban. The first Mindanawon UAP President. For reactions: